Pirelli P Zero Nero ? Rosso

[santambrogio]

The '00 bought last August came with Dunlop Sport 8000 front in 205/50 zr17 and with Pirelli P Zero Asimmetrico 255/40 ZR 17 rear also labelled "NERO"

I want to replace the front Dunlops with matchin Pirelli P Zero, the tirerack site has OEM listings for Porsche N3 and N2 waht does that mean?

The rear is a P Zero Asimmetrico matching front for this are a symmetrical "direzionale" recommended for possible wet weather or a assimmetrico for dry conditions.

The concen is that the rear I've got on the 255/40 17 'nero' is not listed by the tirerack site as a OE tire. The rosso is.

[adsach]

The concen is that  the rear I've got on the 255/40 17 'nero' is not listed by the tirerack site as a OE tire.

IMO - Buy high performance tires of good sizes, keep them properly infalted, and forget about the Porsche OEM "N" ratings. If you are planning on having this be a show car, it might matter. If you are planning on selling your car to a dealer so they can resell it as certified pre-owned if might be worth $20 for the "n" rating, otherwise buy good tires.

Having 2 different model tires front and rear is a much bigger problem that having the OEM label stamped in the tires sidewall.

- - -

For advice on buying tires, please tell us how and where you drive - we have LOTS of opinions on tires :D .

[LVDell]

forget about the Porsche OEM "N" ratings.

First off, not a good idea to give advice like that in this forum (or any). N-spec will not cost you more for the same tire that is not N-spec (brand/model) but it may cost a bit more than a lesser tire.

If you want to dish out advice like that then caveat it with not driving your P-Car faster than a set speed so as not to ever have an influence based on your tire. But....and a big but, if you intend to EVER take your car to speed that last thing you want is a tire deemed not fit for that speed based on internal construction, tread compound, and tread design. Not only is it not reccommended, it is not "permissible". And don't give me the excuse that some of the lesser tires are Z and Y rated.

I find it funny that some of y'all will use a lesser non-approved tire to save a few bucks and compromise safety. So let's say you get a set of lesser tires installed for $700 versus $1000 and the lesser tire saved you $300. I'll even give the lesser tire the benefit of the doubt and let it last as long as the approved tire and let's say they both last 3 years. So you are telling me that saving $8 a month is worth compromising your safety? If that is the case, then start using regular unleaded and you will make that up. There is a reason most lesser tires cost less. They are inferior and more importantly last a much shorter amount of time. So, in time, it is a wash.

Remember, the ONLY thing between you and the road is the rubber. Buy lesser brands at your own risk. There is a reason there is a N-Spec rating system.

[Highlander]

"N" rated tire arguments aside, I have personal experience with PZero Nero tires. I was seriously unimpressed. Squishy sidewalls and not so great grip. Nice "comfy" ride, but if I'd wanted a comfy ride, I'dve bought a Buick ;)

"N" ratings assure you that the tire has passed stringent Porsche testing. The number after the N is simply a revision number and is not important. I wouldn't go so far as to say running a Boxster on non "N" rated tires is "not permissible", but using "N" rated tires is definately advisable (don't tell anyone, but I don't!).

I'm partial to Michelin tires myself and if you want a great summer tire, go with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Rib.

Hope this helps,

Graeme

[adsach]

check your medications Dell - noone said anything about cheap tires.

SantAmbroglio has noisy, fast wearing, poor rain performance Pirellis in the back and a tire I personally no nothing about on the front. Front to back he is badly matched. I don't even want to guess at his tire pressures.

Does he drive his BMW when it rains?

Is the boxster his toy car? freeway commuter? track devil?

Does he value top down driving (quiet tires)?

Does he always have his stereo at full blast and doesn't care?

Does he take his boxster to the ski slopes because it has heated seats?

Is 17" inch the right size wheel?

If you want to only discuss "N" rated tires, then feel free to offer your advice within the universe of "n" rated tires - I'm not stopping you.

I personally wanted to know abit more about SantA's driving needs before offering a "one size sort of fits all" answer.

[santambrogio]

The car is the fun car used for the fun drives and sometimes the canyons.

The car had this tires on when bought last August.

Tirerack does not list the Neros that are on the car (255/40 ZR 17's) as Boxster tires, they are N rated.

Pressures are checked and per car sticker. I really do not want mismatched tires and am buying matching fronts. The wheels are factory 17's

[Highlander]

Matching tires front and rear should definately be priority #1. If you want crisper turn-in and a little less understeer, try adding 2 or 3 psi to your front tires. I run 31f/36r. Then again, I also run 225/45-17 tires up front. The bigger contact patch combined with higher tire pressure makes the car feel much tighter.

Graeme

[Jinster]

I have Pirelli P-Zeros on the back. Seriously unimpressed with its wet performance too.

[tim911]

I have Pirelli P-Zeros on the back. Seriously unimpressed with its wet performance too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey guys,

I am a brand new member from Europe, Belgium.

And I can advise you to have matching tyres front and rear!

Here most of us drive with P-zero Rosso or Conti Sport contacts. I prefer to have the Conti's on my Boxster, they always gave me good grip in the rain.And as u all know, we have a lot of rain here.

4 conti's N rated will cost you around 1000 dollar I supose, we pay about 700 euro.

Grtz

Tim

[Dave S]

Hi Guys,

I'm thinking of replacing my Pirelli P Zero's with Michelin Pilot Sport's as well. I have stock 17" rims. I'd like to go w/ a little wider tires in front. What is the largest tire I can install? I think Graeme mentioned he's running 225/45/17.

Lastly, does anybody know a good wheel alignment shop in the San Jose, CA area?

Thanks,

Dave

[ar38070]

225 is probably the max width tire for a 7 inch width wheel. People have put on larger but it is definitely not ideal.

Custom Alignment in Mountain View.

Dietchwerks in Sunnyvale.

Ken's Sportech in Campbell.

[Dave S]

Thank you very much for the information. I think I'll go w/ 225's in the front and 265's in the rear.

David

[oracle10g]

Anyone with the 18' tires? I need to replace the back tires. Thinking about the Conti Sports since they were the original ones that were on the car when I bought it and it felt very good then, even though a bit noisy.

I mostly drive the car to work one day round trip is about 80 miles and therefore I need tires that last a little more than just pure performance tires.

The three options are:

1. Conti sports.

2. Bridestone S02/S03?

3. Pirelli Rosso.

Thanks for any advise.

[2000SoCalBoxsterS]

The '00 bought last August came with Dunlop Sport 8000 front in 205/50 zr17 and with Pirelli P Zero Asimmetrico 255/40 ZR 17 rear also labelled "NERO"

I want to replace the front Dunlops with matchin Pirelli P Zero, the tirerack site has OEM listings for Porsche N3 and N2 waht does that mean?

The rear is a P Zero Asimmetrico matching front for this are a symmetrical "direzionale" recommended for possible wet weather or a assimmetrico for dry conditions.

The concen is that the rear I've got on the 255/40 17 'nero' is not listed by the tirerack site as a OE tire. The rosso is.

The "N" rated is required by Porsche. I persoanlly would not run different tires on the front and back. I am on my second set of Perelli P-Zero's on 18" wheels (they last about 10K to 12K miles) and I am very happy with them. My Boxster S is not my daily driver and I only drive it on nice days in late spring through the fall so I can't speak to wet weather traction. They are classified as summer high performance tires so I would not expect them to be very good on wet roads.

[911-996]

I have Pirelli P-Zeros on the back. Seriously unimpressed with its wet performance too.

I've still got the stock set on my 2001 Boxster S, they've lasted 6 years with a little under 1/4 tread left on them (yes I know, 1: drive my car more and 2: change the tires! :rolleyes: ) Got a set of Yokahama Advan sports waiting for it.

Pros: Honestly a great tire in the dry grip wise, quality made

Cons: Loud after about 8,000kms, very lound after 10k im talking loud enough to ward spirits, hammer it in the wet and you'll find out how well a boxster does 360's :D

Took it for a quick drive around the block this morning as it hasnt moved in over 2 weeks, even after 6 years of hardening they hold insanely well in the dry, but wet weather is like driving on ice.

[gfl]

N spec is not about quality, performance level, speed rating or any of those criteria. It is a manufacturer's type approval rating, meanign that Porsche approved it. Nothing more, nothing less. There are many tires with better specs, at higher prices that are not N-rated. of course, there are LOTS of lower quality ones that would nto meet N-specs. But a knowledgeable consumer can figure this out.

It costs a lot to have any product type approved, whether its ACEA grading, API grading UL grading, or N rating. Not every manufacturer will submit every tire.

Yes, tires are very important. Yes, being cheap is dumb. No, buying N is not required, btu it does provide another indication of its suitability.

Grant

[WeekendWonder]

Ditto on Pirelli...Rosso in the wet. I have 18s 265 at the back, 225 on the front. IT seriously does not feel good in the rain!

Seems good for dry roads though. What's the best allround tyre? (Excuse the pun!). Road use only, not too loud, but main thing is to grip like glue in wet and dry conditions.

[Highlander]

Ditto on Pirelli...Rosso in the wet. I have 18s 265 at the back, 225 on the front. IT seriously does not feel good in the rain!

Seems good for dry roads though. What's the best allround tyre? (Excuse the pun!). Road use only, not too loud, but main thing is to grip like glue in wet and dry conditions.

The best tire I have found that meets the "grip like glue in wet and dry conditions" is the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. Very expensive and they don't last long, but boy do they work well!

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes.jsp?ma...Pilot+Sport+PS2

I had a set on my M3 at the track in these conditions and everyone who got in the car was shocked at how much grip I had in my totally stock car. Just don't try driving on actual snow pack. Then they act like normal summer tires. ie, absolutely no grip!!!

[honda_nos]

wow, heated discussion on this thread. I'll throw in my thoughts as well. I recently got the P Zero Neros 225-45-18 fronts and 265-35-18 rears and are reasonably pleased. I didn't go for the N rating (Rossos) because I felt the Neros were good enough tires.

I am sure there are n number of tests that need to pass to have the N rating but really, I drive my Boxster up to highway speeds at most and may periodically autocross it during summer. I didn't want to spend the extra $500 on the Rosso's. I spent that money on an HID conversion kit from Vertex and got a alignment. For what its worth seeing better due to the HIDs is a better safety bet for me.

I live in rainy Seattle and so far no problems on the Neros. They are decent quiet (I can really hear the engine tone now) and I haven't had issues with hydroplaning. I got the M+S and for really snowy days I take my AWD with snow tires. The Boxster is my daily driver and the PNeros were just the ticket...

Edited December 31, 2007 by honda_nos

[RFM]

The side walls of the N coded tires are stiffer than the same size, same brand non N coded tyres. Try this out in your tyre store, take only the tyre not a complete wheel. The N coded tyres are the perfect match with the European suspension ( harder ), i don't no what the impact is with the US suspension ( softer ).